Shreveport pastor working to restore burglarized church building

2014-06-18T02:50:07Z2014-07-02T03:31:03Z

SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) -

A homeless Shreveport man is in jail for allegedly breaking into an East Shreveport church building Monday night.

Shreveport police say it happened around 9 p.m. in the 700 block of Pierre Avenue. Craig Jones, 45, was found carrying items taken from the church. As officers approached Jones, he ran and was caught a short time later.

"I'm not mad, I am just frustrated," said Living Word Christian Fellowship Pastor Timothy Thomas.

He said the building is being renovated and will become the church's academy building. He said he spotted the burglar going to the back of the building and called police.

"He bust out some walls where the copper and stuff goes," Thomas said, adding that it will cost tens of thousands of dollars to replace the stolen copper and repair the damages.

The church has worked to renovate the old building for over a year, and last summer a similar incident took place.

"We have a resolve that it is going to be completed, and we are not going to stop," Thomas said.

Jones was booked into the Shreveport City Jail charged with burglary of a religious building and resisting arrest.

Officers are working to determine if Jones is responsible for any other crimes in the area.